You can’t truly understand what you don’t know until you learn it. Although this statement may seem complex, it resonates with nearly all incoming freshmen student-athletes who are leaving home for the first time and entering a more challenging and competitive environment.
Sam Williams-Dixon is among the latest players to reach this understanding. The Ohio State redshirt freshman running back experienced a whirlwind first year in college; he made some mistakes, learned from them and believes he’s improved because of what he’s gone through.
A year ago, the Pickerington North product was a freshman who had enrolled early, navigating the life of a college football player. Growing up just outside Columbus, Ohio, Williams-Dixon had the chance to fulfill a dream by playing for his favorite team.
Early in his first spring as a Buckeye, Williams-Dixon learned the reality of college football when running backs coach Tony Alford left Ohio State to take the same position with rival Michigan.
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“Of course, this is definitely a business for real,” Williams-Dixon said. “So, you gotta learn it and I learned the hard way.”
After Alford’s departure, head coach Ryan Day dedicated more time to working with the running backs. Two weeks after Alford left, Day appointed Carlos Locklyn from Oregon as the new running backs coach for the Scarlet and Gray.
While Ohio State achieved success running the ball in 2024 with Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson as a tandem, Williams-Dixon experienced a challenging freshman year. As the Buckeyes’ fourth running back, Williams-Dixon played a total of nine snaps across three games, carrying the ball seven times for 53 yards.
Shortly after Scarlet and Gray’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal win against Oregon in the Rose Bowl, Williams-Dixon chose to enter the transfer portal. After contemplating this decision, he decided to return to Ohio State in mid-February.
“It started as just me listening to the wrong people, for real,” Williams-Dixon explained this week. “I had to take care of my life. I didn’t have control of it, now I got control of it. I’m doing my own thing, for real. So that’s what it really was.
“But what brought me back was, I didn’t wanna leave. I was engraved here, I love it here, man. I ain’t wanna leave, for real, so that’s what it was.”
When asked to describe his freshman season, Williams-Dixon stated that he needed to “grow up.” For the first time, he was not the primary player in the backfield. The coach he chose to play for was coaching a different set of running backs.
Arriving during spring practice, Locklyn needed to quickly get to know his players. It was easier to build relationships with Judkins and Henderson — two players Locklyn had recruited at previous programs — because they established their roles. Williams-Dixon felt somewhat overlooked and described his last season’s relationship with his position coach as “shaky.”
“I’m a new guy coming in this spring, April,” Locklyn said. “The guy that coached him left. And he’s a young man. So things are a little bit different for him.”
Williams-Dixon stayed with the Buckeyes during the team’s national championship run. After the season, he had conversations with Locklyn. These discussions were more about life than about football.
“The part I talked with about Sam is that we’re all gonna be successful in something,” Locklyn said. “I want him to be successful in school. And think about he’s from here. Getting his degree from here could mean a lot. So that’s what I kind of spoke with him about that.”
These conversations resonated with the running back. Williams-Dixon recognized that he needed to make some changes in his life.
Since returning to Ohio State, Williams-Dixon has made a greater effort with Locklyn. With Judkins and Henderson heading to the NFL, Williams-Dixon is quickly becoming one of the longest-tenured running backs in the room. He recognized that he needed to be more proactive.
Locklyn and Williams-Dixon had what he referred to as “man-to-man talks.” This was important to help the young running back, who doesn’t speak much, feel comfortable again in the Buckeye program.
It certainly helps that Williams-Dixon has the chance to join the Scarlet and Gray’s running back rotation in 2025.
“Personally, I think I can definitely make an impact,” Williams-Dixon said. “I can definitely get on the field and make a name for myself and prove to myself that I can do this.”
Coming out of high school, Williams-Dixon drew comparisons to former Ohio State H-Back Curtis Samuel, who began his career as a running back for the Buckeyes before an eight-year NFL career as a wide receiver. Last season, the Scarlet and Gray running backs combined for 50 receptions, but Williams-Dixon believes he can be a dangerous weapon out of the backfield moving forward.
“I feel like being part of the pass game is really important for me because I ain’t really big, I’m a scat back for real,” Williams Dixon said. “So I can catch the ball, I can run the ball, I got good vision.
“I still think I can do some of those things. Also, I just wanna be a team player and help the team out as much as I can.”
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Williams-Dixon also recognizes areas where he can improve. He understands that he needs to get better in pass protection on the field, which he seldom practiced in high school. Off the field, he is working on being more vocal — not just with Locklyn — to become a stronger leader for Ohio State.
Williams-Dixon’s college career didn’t start easily. However, the running back has matured and aims to build on his challenging freshman season.
“It was a learning year,” Williams-Dixon said. “I feel like that’s what some people’s freshman year is. You gotta learn, you gotta learn to listen. So that’s pretty much what it was.”
